Even I find myself boring sometimes.
— Dizzee Rascal
I grew up and learnt to hold my own. My mum was doing two people's jobs. It makes you grow up early. There's less people to talk to, less close people, innit? You're going to end up being lonely because you think a bit more.
I come from the underground, from the ground.
I just go to the gym once every few weeks and go training once or twice a week. But it's all pretty random.
Every summer in my old area, Bow, these kids from across the road used to bring out quad bikes in the park. They let me have a go, and I don't know what was wrong with me, but I drove straight into a gate and fractured my big toe. I had this mad limp for ages.
Politicians... say what they say - you might get every now and again a genuine one, innit? But I think people, like, as a whole make the difference.
Rappers and MCs have always had an alias. Building your character, it helps you to get things out.
I'm going to be big like Michael Jackson.
I'll never run out of things to rap about. Sometimes you sit there and think, 'I can't do it, I can't do it.' Then something happens and you start writing.
That's what the world's about - different perspectives.
Some people don't want to be helped, they want to do what they're doing, it's all they know.
Kids need to be taught that your dreams aren't just dreams. Whatever they are, it's OK to push for them.
I like that the sight of me can make people happy. That's nice innit? I like that people like my music. I like that you get perks sometimes. Sometimes people treat you better, but through that there's the opposite as well.
People used to shoot their guns while I was MCing.
Sometimes people chat loosely. Sometimes people just speak their minds and what's on their mind ain't necessarily real or facts, so I don't take it too serious. I'm more interested in making the music, I don't really play that.
Yeah, I like Three Six Mafia and stuff like that.
If you want real truth, I'll tell you real truth, even though I know a lot of people aren't gonna like it.
In the end, music was the only option open to me. It was a blessing I pursued it. I put all my energies into it. I didn't care about no other subjects.
I always put people with my kind of background first.
If you are going to work, you might as well follow your heart, because nothing in life is easy and if it's going to be hard, it might as well be what you really want.
For a bit I was going mad trying to do martial arts twice a week and go to the gym and do weights, but that can make you ill if you balance it with flying around and living like I do, so I narrowed it down.
Barack Obama embraced hip-hop, man. That's the way he got through to kids.
I think a black man, purple man, Martian man can run the country... as long as he does right by the people.
I sometimes think I should write a book. I've seen some things, you know, but it's all there in the songs.
The name Dirtee Stank came from a lyric I had when I was 17 or 16. Lyrical tank, like my name was Frank, going on dirty, going on stank. It sounded like a good name!
You can never have enough winter jackets.
That's the difference between me and a lot of rappers. So many are unfit, just puffing all the time.
I liked going to the Caribbean, just having nice holidays, do you know what I mean?
I'm from east London.
I quite like thai boxing. But then I'm not surprised because I did taekwondo and karate and judo and all of that when I was a kid, and then just stopped when I got a bit older.
When I was young I used to watch MTV, Nirvana, or Guns N' Roses.
Music's something that I really wasn't pushed into, it was something I just kinda chose, I just kept pushing myself, and it was all down to me.
I don't think I was ever really a normal kid. I always wanted to do it big, and so I was always on the lookout for strong people I could learn from.
I'm not that guy in the suit, speaking the Queen's English. I don't need to be. I've done enough. I can go on 'Newsnight' as me.
Where I'm from, there ain't a lot of other options, you know what I'm saying? Entertainment or football or crime. I don't want to spread the message that all you can do is music or sport. You can be anything. Anything. That's the message I like to spread.
I come from nothing, man.
I swear too much.
I pride myself on the energy I put on stage.
I think it don't matter what colour you are, it matters what colour your heart is and your intentions.
If you believe, you can achieve, innit.
I made hardcore music and that came kind of easy - it was what I knew. But it was a challenge for me to make a big pop tune.
I found it funny I was on 'Newsnight.'
To an extent, everyone is jealous of everyone.
I go everywhere quiet - like a ninja. Always have done. Think big, move quiet.
Life is hard enough. Life is always going to be hard, so you need to push for what you want.
When I go Miami, I go deep-sea fishing. I love doing that.
When you're actually boxing, unless it's a proper grudge match, it's less about beating the person up and more about being better within yourself. Being patient, timing things, like chess, so really, it's as much down to you as what the other person does - and that's life.
Yeah, I love festivals, man.
I like to work with the best artists, full stop, around the world, and just make things happen man.
I'm the first British artist to have two successive number ones on his own independent label.
